You know the times in history that no one speaks about? Well, this book was not afraid to talk about the Korean War and how it affected the citizens living in the North and South. I was shocked to learn that this was based upon the story of the author's mother when she escaped from North Korea as a young girl.

Did you see the cover??? It is so accurate to the story and also engrossing. (ok, fine, I first picked this up because of it.)

This book featured both history and culture which I'd love to see more of in middle-grade.

One thing that really stood out was the healing of broken relationships. Some characters had to learn how to listen and forgive.

At times the story got a little slow but when it did, the writing pulled me back in fairly quickly.

Overall, I'd read this again and would recommend it to anyone looking for a book that isn't afraid to tackle different topics.



Rating: 4/5

Language: n/a

Romance: n/a

Spiritual: The characters are unable to go to church due to the government.

Violence: There was a lot for a middle-grade. Yes, this is set during war but it was a bit more than I expected at times.



*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and a positive review was not required. ( )

So sad. a very emotional read. ( )

RGG: Extremely well-done historical fiction, combining the experience of escaping North Korea during the Korean War with the personal experience of being a young teenage girl dealing with cultural and family expectations. Fascinating! Reading Interest: 12-14.